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NY Islanders will be patient with Cal Ritchie, but say he could force NHL roster spot

The New York Islanders don’t plan to rush Cal Ritchie into the NHL — unless he decides for them.

Ritchie, 20, was the centerpiece of the deal that sent Brock Nelson to Colorado and is projected as a long-term top-six center. But general manager Mathieu Darche said the focus this fall is on development, not fast-tracking, as NY Post beat writer Ethan Sears detailed last week.

“Well, it’s a process. I want them to have an NHL career, not play games,” Darche said this week on The Jeff Marek Show.